This kokeshi is wearing a dark green kimono with red and light green accents. She was created by the award-winning kokeshi artisan Sekiguchi Tōa, the son of kokeshi-shi legend Sekiguchi Sansaku who has a museum dedicated to him in Gunma.
This beauty is called Kaguya hime, Princess Kaguya. She is named for the protagonist in the oldest folk tale in Japan “The tale of the bamboo cutter”. Studio Ghibli fans will recognise the name as the title of one of their anime films (The tale of the Princess Kaguya).
Her round, oval nestling body symbolizes the glowing bamboo shoot where the humble bamboo cutter first discovers her as a tiny, miraculous baby. The green and red patterns etched on her dark kimono are stylised bamboo leaves layered with shimmering gold or glitter accents, reflecting her celestial, moon-born nature. You can see subtle lines carved into the sides of her head to illustrate the traditional Hime katto (Princess cut), featuring longer hair with sharply cut cheek-length sidelocks, typical for high-born Heian period nobility.
Her specifications are:
Height: 11 cm
Weight: 524 grams
Materials:
Mizuki (Giant dogwood)
